After a stroke or an operation, families are usually told to “keep them exercising at home”. What to practise, how much, and when to stop rarely gets answered. The result is that many give up after a few days, or push the patient too hard out of anxiety. This article describes what home practice actually involves and what the family's part in it is.
Important: after a stroke, surgery or a fracture, the exercise programme must follow the treating doctor's instructions and plan. Each stage of recovery allows a different level of movement — exercising at the wrong stage can worsen the injury or cause complications.
Who needs rehabilitation at home
- People after a stroke with weakness on one side who need regular practice to regain movement.
- People after surgery or a fracture who have been told to move early but find travelling to hospital difficult.
- Older people with muscle weakness and an unsteady gait, who have already fallen once and whose family fears another fall.
- People who have been in bed for a long time, whose joints are stiffening and muscles wasting.
- People who practised in hospital but stopped at home because nobody was there to guide them.
What to practise at each stage
| Stage | What is practised | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Still in bed | Passive joint movement, position changes, breathing exercises | Maintain joint range, support circulation, prevent pressure ulcers |
| Able to sit up | Sitting steadily, sitting balance, arm work | Avoid dizziness on position change, regain trunk control |
| Standing with support | Standing, weight shifting, stepping in place | Prepare for walking, reduce fall risk |
| Able to walk | Assisted walking, steps and stairs | Walk safely indoors, regain independence |
| Daily activities | Hand work, grip, eating and washing tasks | Manage personal care — the goal that matters most to the patient |
Want to know which stage your relative is at and what they should be practising? Call 094 368 81 15 — the therapist assesses at home before proposing a plan, and quotes the cost before starting.
Can someone confined to bed still practise?
Yes, and this is the group that needs it most. When a person lies still for several days, the body changes faster than most people expect: joints begin to contract, muscles waste, circulation slows and areas under pressure risk ulceration. Bed exercises are not there to make the patient stronger overnight — they are there to stop those things getting worse while recovery takes its course.
- Passive movement: a therapist or family member gently flexes and extends each joint within the permitted range.
- Scheduled position changes to relieve pressure on vulnerable skin.
- Breathing exercises to support ventilation, especially in someone bed-bound for a long time.
- Correct pillow placement to hold joints in a good position and prevent contracture.
Four common mistakes that make practice counterproductive
- Cramming: resting for days, then one very hard session. A body after a stroke or an operation does not tolerate this — steady and within capacity is what works.
- Pulling hard on a weak limb “to speed things up”. The shoulder on the affected side is easily injured when pulled incorrectly.
- Ignoring pain. Pain rising during practice is a signal to stop and ask, not something to endure.
- Working only the legs and forgetting the hands. For the patient, holding a spoon or fastening a button matters no less than walking.
What the therapist does at your home
- Assesses joint range, muscle strength and balance before designing the programme.
- Proposes a plan matched to the recovery stage and the patient's underlying conditions.
- Delivers the sessions at home or at the bedside.
- Teaches the family how to assist in the correct position — this matters, because most of the week it is the family practising, not the therapist.
- Tracks progress session by session and adjusts the exercises accordingly.
We do not promise a specific recovery milestone in advance. Results depend on underlying conditions, the extent of the injury and how consistently practice happens — anyone guaranteeing “how long until they walk again” is promising something they cannot control.
How many sessions, and what the cost depends on
The number of sessions depends on the individual: the therapist assesses and then proposes a frequency, usually denser in the early stage and spaced out once the patient and family are practising correctly. Cost depends on sessions per week, the starting condition (bed exercises differ from walking practice), whether the programme is basic or advanced, whether assistive equipment is used, and travel distance. A longer course is priced differently from single sessions.
Need personalised advice for your loved one in Da Nang? Call our hotline 094 368 81 15 (24/7) or leave your details to book an appointment — a GreenCare nurse will contact you and provide transparent pricing before we begin.
